


In æternum vive

by Here_Comes_A_Special_Boy



Category: Hannibal (TV), Hannibal Lecter Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alana Bloom helps I guess, Cannibalistic Cult, Father/Daughter Relationship, I'm high rn shut up, Jack Crawford now wants kids, Other, Protective Hannibal, Subtle mentions of Hannigram - Freeform, Takes place near the beginning of season 1, Will and Hannibal make good dads, loosely based on the books, protect this child, surprise surprise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-09
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26379991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Here_Comes_A_Special_Boy/pseuds/Here_Comes_A_Special_Boy
Summary: "There, perched in the branches, was a small figure. "A child" Will assumed in his head."One chilly night in Wolf Trap, Virginia, Will finds a small girl in a tree. He takes her in and finds out her name is Cadessa (through bribery of food). In the morning, he takes Cadessa in for questioning in hopes of returning her to her family. With the help of a few apple slices, Cadessa reveals that her and her family take part a cannibalistic cult called, "In æternum vive" that believes they can live forever if they consume human meat. When the cult forces her to take part in the unorthodox ritual, she refuses and narrowly escapes. With this, Will and the others come up with a plan to invade and arrest the cult, consulting to Hannibal as well.**Heavily based on the NBC series and loosely based on the books by Thomas Harris
Relationships: Father/Daughter - Relationship, Hannibal Lecter/Original Female Character(s), Will Graham/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	In æternum vive

“Alright everyone, you are free to go” Will announces, opening the door for 7 anticipating dogs. The night air was cold and still, as it usually gets in Virginia. Will puffs out slowly, watching his breath swirl around him. All seven of his dogs were scattered across the farm’s front yard. Each dog was either sniffing, digging (which is a no-no), or using the bathroom.

Except for Winston.

Winston, the stray he found on the way home one night from Baltimore, was excessively barking and whining up a tree. Will chuckled to himself at the irony of his thoughts. He looked up again, only to find all seven of his dogs barking up the same tree. 

Instinctively, Will trudged over to where the chaos was taking place. 

“Hey! Tss, Tss!” He called. All of the dogs looked up at him. He whistled and pointed at the gate leading to the backyard that was always kept open. The dogs obediently marched over to the gate, leaving Will alone with whatever they were barking at… and Winston.

He sighed and peered up at the tree. There, perched in the branches, was a small figure. _A child_ Will assumed in his head. The wind blew and for a second, the moonlight revealed the figure. A little girl. _Can’t be older than five_ he thought. He cleared his throat and braced himself for what he’d been dreading for years; talking to a child. (He’s gonna sound like Willy Wonka but here we go 0.o)

“Um, little girl?!” Will called out, the girl moved up an inch. Not what he wanted. The moonlight showed her face again, but this time she was staring at Winston. The dog wasn’t very threatening, yet the girl didn’t take her eyes off of him.

“He won’t hurt you, I promise!” Will took a step towards the tree, reaching his hand out as an offering of safety. The girl hesitated, then finally, _finally_ , descended from the tree. When she reached the base of the branches, she hesitated once more, focusing her eyes at the steepness of the trunk. Will took this opportunity to help her down. Her shoes at last touched the earth, and she was met with an over-excited mutt and an unstable brunet. The moonlight and the help of the porch lights illuminated the little girl.

Will examined her fully, she had chocolate brown hair that was matted to her face (which was strange, due to the cold weather) and stopped in the middle of her neck. Unlike a normal child’s face, which was usually round with baby fat, her’s was more of a reduced U and smudged with dirt. Her eyes were puffy and from crying. What shocked Will the most was her clothing, her attire resembled the Easter dresses girls used to wear in the 60’s, a puffy cotton dress that stopped at her knees. Her shoes matched her dress, pastel pink flats paired with white sock with lace trim. Her whole apparel was dirtied with the filth of the forest. 

At this point, the profiler realized he’d been staring at her for a good minute. When he snapped back into reality, the girl was becoming fond of Winston. It also registered to him that it was 36 degrees outside and the one wearing the jacket was him. He quickly shed the jacket and *awkwardly* placed it over the girl’s small shoulders. He quickly escorted her into the farmhouse and shut the door behind him. 

The little girl automatically seated herself on the couch nearest to the door. Will lingered in the middle of his living room, not knowing what to do next. Will glanced at the girl and noticed she was shivering. 

“ _Hey idiot! What did YOUR dad do when you were cold? A warm bath and f o o d”_

Will turned to the little girl. “Um, uh- here come with me, let’s get you into a bath,” Her eyes lit up immediately and practically flew off the couch to his side. A warm, fuzzy feeling formed in the middle of his chest (like the grinch when his heart grew ^-^) as he led the little girl to his bathroom. Will switched the lights on and rubbed the back of his neck quizzically as to what to do next. _Alana would know_. Will hurried out of the bathroom, pulled out his phone, and quickly dialed Alana’s number.

*Ringing*

“ _Hello? Will?”_

“Hi, um- quick question. How do you bathe a child?”

“ _What? Will, do you need me to go over there? And why do you have a child that requires bathing?”_

“Just- just please answer the question”

“ _*Audible sigh* It's just like giving a dog a bath, except the child can scrub themselves. Now, why don’t you answer my question”_

But before he could give an answer, Will heard a familiar sound of tub water running. 

“I’ll have to call you back... And don’t come over” He tucked his phone back in his pocket and peered around the corner into the bathroom. Much to his dismay, the little girl was filling the bathtub… naked. (Hecc no x100) He immediately clamped his hand over his eyes, glasses and all. He cleared his throat, “Uh, everything good?”

“Mhmm!” the little girl chirped. And with that, Will scooted out of the bathroom and shut the door. The thought of food for the little girl plagued his mind as he walked into the kitchen. He browsed the options he had, scanning the inventory in his pantry and fridge. When he got to his freezer, he found a box of frozen White Castle Sliders (for the non-americans, think of a burger but about a quarter of the regular size). He pulled the small box out, followed per instructions, and within 60 seconds, dinner was complete. As he set the plate down, it fazed him that the tiny child’s clothes were dirty. Like poorly drawn clockwork (get it get it get it-), he retrieves the dirty laundry and sets it to go. As he finishes the mini-chore, Will hears scratching at the door, and opens the door to six dogs racing inside to escape the cold. Winston joins them as they rush to the dog beds in their owner’s bedroom. Meanwhile, the girl finishes her bath and drains the dirty water.

Clad in a towel and little dignity, she peeked out the bathroom door. She padded along the wooden floor in search of clothes. As if on cue, Will turned the corner with a conveniently-sized shirt. Will handed the girl the shirt and skirted away towards the counter in the kitchen. The girl slips the shirt over herself and makes her way to the kitchen. She spots Will waiting for her with a steaming plate of sliders. Her mouth waters at the sight of food. Instinctively, she attempts to grab one of the sliders, but Will counters her action by sliding plate out of her reach. The girl climbs into a chair and stares at Will attentively. 

“I will let you eat this,” Will slides the plate more towards his side of the countertop, “But you have to tell me your name”

“Cadessa,” She squeaks, never taking her eyes off of Will. The special agent was astounded by the abrupt answer, and in return, gave her her food as promised. Cadessa practically devours the tiny burgers in an instant. She licks her lips and stares at Will for his next move. He puts one hand on his chest and another out to Cadessa to shake. “I’m Will Graham” he smiles slightly. Will noted how her hand trembled as she accepted his greeting. Cadessa returns her hand to her face, rubbing her eyes at the sudden tiredness. “Are you tired?” Will asked, placing the dirtied dish in the sink. She nodded, Will led her to his bedroom (no not like that gth maps), where Winston greeted her with a lick on the face. She giggled and turned her attention to Will, who was taking out an extra pillow and blanket for him to sleep on the couch. “You can sleep there for tonight. I’ll be in the living room if you need me, okay?” Before he could take a step out the room, Will felt Cadessa tug on the back of his shirt. He sighed and looked down at Cadessa, who had a frantic look on her face that meant she didn’t want to be alone. He complied, and set up his temporary bedding on the left of the bed. Cadessa curled up in Will’s comforter and fell fast asleep. Will pulled out his phone once again and sent Jack Crawford a message:

_I have something important to show you tomorrow._


End file.
